Fabric refresher products have become a popular product in today's consumer goods market. Such products typically involve a liquid composition that is sprayed onto surfaces, such as fabrics, to reduce or remove malodor from the surfaces. Some of these products can also provide a pleasing scent by incorporation of perfume into the composition. However, such products typically are not capable of providing a controlled-release of an active material, such as a perfume scent.
Other products merely provide a pleasant fragrance, but do not act to reduce or remove malodor. Instead, such products utilize strong perfume scents to mask malodors by providing a scent stronger than the malodor. JP 03-173,565 (“JP '565”) discloses an encased-perfume spray composition wherein the perfume is encased in microcapsules. The spray composition is preferably an aerosol-type composition utilizing a propellant. The perfume-encased microcapsules adhere to clothes, carpets, neckties, etc., and the fragrance is slowly released or is released by pressure such as friction. The spray compositions of JP '565 provide a pleasant fragrance, but contain relatively high levels of microcapsules and/or binder that can negatively impact the surface being treated.
JP 11-246383 (“JP '383”) similarly discloses a composition made of a slurry of microcapsules containing essential oils mixed with an aqueous binder. The compositions can be applied to fibers, such as bedding sheets, in which the fragrance can be released from the microcapsule, e.g., during movement as a person sleeps. However, as with the spray compositions of JP '565, the compositions of JP '383 provide a pleasant fragrance, but contain relatively high levels of microcapsules and/or binder that can negatively impact the surface being treated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,142 (“US '142”) discloses microencapsulated liquids, such as perfumes, that are applied to substrates from an aerosol applicator. The aerosol compositions of US '142 contain a microcapsule containing liquid, a polymeric binder, a solvent for the polymeric binder, and an aerosol propellant. However, while the aerosol compositions of US '142 provide a controlled-release of a liquid material, the compositions contain relatively high levels of microcapsules and/or binder that can negatively impact the surface being treated.
While microcapsules are used in many types of products, the stability of the microcapsules over time can be problematic. In solutions containing water and/or volatile materials, microcapsules can degrade or rupture over time, causing the active agent within the microcapsule to be released prematurely. These losses often result in a decreased efficacy of the product, necessitating the use of increased amounts of product in order to achieve satisfactory results. By inadvertently releasing the active agents from the microcapsule, the active agents are not delivered effectively.
There has thus been a need to provide a composition that is able to provide a controlled-release of an active material, preferably a perfume scent, into the environment surrounding the surface without negatively impacting the treated surface. There has also been a need to provide a composition that is able to provide a controlled-release of an active material and kill microorganisms on a surface being treated with the composition. There has been a further need to form compositions containing microcapsules that are stable over time. The present invention addresses these previously unmet needs.